Beijing Auto BC301 Looks Suspiciously Like...A Few Things

Feb. 02, 2012 6:51 AM ET by Jay Traugott Offbeat / 15 Comments

Chinese automotive design originality? Don't hold your breath.

It's no secret that Chinese-designed cars are not exactly original. We know that's a bit of an understatement, but there have been many examples of Chinese automakers blatantly taking design elements from many other foreign brands (and some technology every now and then). The final results have generated both laughs and sighs of disbelief from industry watchers and the press. And now, thanks to CarNewsChina, we have the first pictures of the Beijing Auto BC301.

Set to debut at the Beijing Auto Show in April, this five-door hatch at first seems to be a very practical basic transportation. Fair enough, but we soon found our minds ambushed with images of several other makes and models. It has a front-end that suspiciously resembles that of a Hyundai and a Mercedes-like grille. From the side, the overall character lines evoke the Mercedes B-Class. So our question is whether we'll ever see a truly original design for a mass-produced car from a Chinese manufacturer in the near future?

Source Credits: www.carnewschina.com

Beijing Auto BC301 Looks Suspiciously Like...A Few Things

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